Water Rates

5Overview

Our mission has always been to provide high-quality water and dependable service at the lowest possible cost. NTMWD is a wholesale water provider serving more than 2 million people in 10 North Texas counties. The rate paid by water consumers varies by each city we serve as it sets customer rates to cover the wholesale cost as well as local system costs.

  • FY26 Member City wholesale rate: $4.14 per 1,000 gallons of treated water (effective Oct. 1, 2025)
  • FY26 Customer wholesale rate: $4.19 per 1,000 gallons of treated water (effective Oct. 1, 2025)
  • Historic NTMWD Wholesale Water Rates (PDF) for Member Cities and Customers

To ensure a reliable, uninterrupted water delivery now and in the future, ongoing investments are needed to maintain our existing system and plan for and build additional water projects and infrastructure.

water system FY26

wholesale water rates FY26

  • Fixed Costs = operations, system maintenance, system expansion, debt service
  • Variable Costs = chemicals, power, water purchased

Rates Fund Critical Projects

The FY26 wholesale water rate is effective from October 1, 2025 - September 30, 2026 to fund critical projects to operate, maintain and expand the regional water system. The current rate is still roughly one-third of a penny per gallon of treated water delivered to the cities we serve.

Large capital projects require upfront investment - sometimes years before customers experience the benefit. By funding projects with bonds, we can spread those costs over time so that future users share in the costs. Financing this way requires rate adjustments to maintain our financial stability and high credit ratings. This results in lower interest rates for financing construction and maintenance projects, ultimately saving customers money in lower borrowing costs.

As it has worked since the 1950s, the cities and communities we serve share equitably in infrastructure investments that support the operation and maintenance of the shared regional system, as well as ongoing population growth, which is expected to double over the next 50 years.

Customers frequently ask why rates need to go up if they are conserving water. Water rates are not only set by the amount of water used, but for the costs associated with operating, maintaining, and expanding our system, as well as to repay debt for existing pipelines and facilities.